There are times in life where we do things we know are wrong. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 7:18-23, “for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it…When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.” If you can identify, be encouraged. Even God’s redemption plan came through such human weaknesses.
Let us recall the Genesis 38 story of Jacob’s son Judah, who betrayed his brother Joseph by selling him into slavery. Judah married a Canaanite woman and had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Judah found a wife named Tamar for his eldest son Er. Genesis 38:7 says Er was “wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him.” Since Tamar was sonless, the next brother in line, Onan, was required to perform the Levirate duty to marry Tamar and have a son entitled to Er’s inheritance. But Onan would not perform the duty, displeasing the Lord, “wherefore he slew him also (v. 10).” Judah sent Tamar back to her father until the youngest son was old enough for marriage, actually, having no intention on keeping that promise because he was afraid Shelah would die as well. Meantime, Judah’s wife dies and he becomes a widower.
Tamar realizes that Judah is never going to allow her marriage to Shelah to secure Er’s inheritance. Tamar decides to disguise herself as a prostitute. And Judah propositioned her. Judah offered her a goat from his flock. Tamar made sure to get Judah’s signet, cord and staff as a guarantee of payment—which never occurred because no “prostitute” could be found. Three months later, Judah is told that Tamar “had played the harlot” and is pregnant. Judah, not knowing he is the father, orders that she be burned for her “whoredom (Genesis 38:24).” Tamar sent Judah his signet, cord and staff as proof that he was the father. Judah acknowledged the emblems as his own, and said that, “She is more righteous than I, because I wouldn’t let her become the wife of my son Shelah (38:26b).” Tamar bore twins, Zerach and Perez.
Perez’s son Salmon married Rahab and they had Boaz, who married Ruth as his Levirate duty, and they had Obed, King David’s grandfather. From this line of Perez, would ultimately come our Messiah, Jesus. All three of these Gentile women–Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth–are mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of the Messiah (Mathew 1:1-16). Judah sold his brother into slavery and had sex with his son’s widow—pretty wicked even by today’s standards. Yet Judah understood right and wrong, and eventually reconciled both of his actions. From those deeds came the exodus from Egyptian slavery and Christ Jesus—liberty and salvation. Paul admits that sin wars within us, but be encouraged. Romans 8:28 says, “that all things work together for good to them that love God.” Though there is no excuse to sin, God’s power is perfected in our weakness.
